


Love by Design

by Artemis_Egeria



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Asexual Vision, Asexual Wanda maximoff, Coming Out, F/M, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Minor Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Minor Mantis/Nebula (Marvel), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Ultron is a creep, occasional misogynistic language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-07-29 21:07:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16272371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Egeria/pseuds/Artemis_Egeria
Summary: Vision makes elaborate foam art as a barista at the coffee shop that his brother owns. One day a new customer comes in, and he completely loses his cool. As she keeps coming back, they grow closer. A casual acquaintance becomes something much more.





	1. Chapter 1

A/N: I’ve been writing fanfiction off and on for almost two decades, but somehow I have never written a coffee shop AU. So here it is. Inspired by a Tumblr prompt by user @nahterpie (could not find the original post and user appears to no longer be active) where person A makes extravagant foam art, but completely fails when they see how cute person B is, and [these pictures](http://argent-snow.tumblr.com/post/120076543263/so-what-happens-if-vision-meets-wanda-would) (I originally found them on Pinterest, but I tried to trace them back to the original source). The setting is loosely based off my hometown; all the places described are within easy walking distance unless otherwise stated.

 

 

Wanda’s breath fanned out before her in the cold early December air. She was grateful to enter the warm atmosphere of the local coffee shop that she had not yet visited. As she waited in line, she saw a series of beautifully detailed foam art lattes go by. She might have been frustrated if she were in a hurry, but she had no place to be. She merely appreciated the ambiance. The lighting was warm and cozy, and an eclectic collection of cushions covered the chairs. Tasteful holiday decorations lined the walls.

She finally reached the front of the line. Smiling at the barista, she said, “I’ll have a small latte, please.” Her first thought was wondering how she had not seen him around town before. He certainly would stick out; he was unusually tall and quite handsome, with striking blue eyes.

“For here or to go?”

“To go please.”

“It will be ready right away.” His gentle, lop-sided smile was more effective at warming her up than the heated air of the shop.

She decided to sit at one of the chairs lining the counter as he moved from the register to the coffee machine. He looked up at her and smiled tentatively. She felt her own smile grow wider unbidden. However, his hand shook when he began to pour the foam. Instead of an intricate flower, there was just a blob of foam sitting in the middle of the cup. His pale skin flushed, but she said, “It’s fine.”

“I can make you another, Miss. I--.”

“Did my brother ruin your coffee? It’s on the house.” She hadn’t even noticed the second man come up behind the counter. Her barista winced and closed his eyes briefly. Though the second man was a few inches shorter, he was much broader and more powerfully muscular.

“Not at all. It’s perfect.” She reached for the cup and pulled it from the barista’s slightly protesting fingers. Taking an exaggerated sip, she licked her lips and smiled. It really was the best coffee that she had had in a long time. It was far better than the coffee-energy drink hybrids that Pietro tried to force on her or the lightly flavored water that passed as coffee at work.

Wanda raised her cup in thanks, smiling at them one last time. “Have a good day.”

The barista, who was looking at her gratefully, said, “Take care,” while she could feel the other man’s eyes on her as she left.

***

“You are fortunate that the girl was understanding. We have a reputation to maintain.” Vision was tempted to point out that their shop barely remained profitable, nevertheless having a reputation, but of course he didn’t. They were both sitting in their living room above the shop after closing time. Vision tried not to entertain his frequent fantasy of finding his own apartment and finally moving out from under Ultron’s shadow. Unkind as Ultron often was, he was still Vision’s only family.

“I will be more careful in the future. I promise.”

“But if that girl comes back, I’m going to ask her out. She’s the hottest girl I’ve seen here in weeks.”

If her reaction to his brother was anything to judge by, Vision did not think that she would be receptive to the suggestion, but he schooled his face into an appropriately supportive expression. “Good luck.”

Ultron only sneered at him before heading toward his bedroom door. “I don’t need luck.” He closed the door behind him without another word. Vision merely shook his head and entered his own room. The young woman’s smiling face and shining dark hair floated through his dreams all night.

The next morning he completed the various tasks associated with opening the shop. At five he opened the doors only to see the same woman from the previous day. “Hi, I hope your brother didn’t give you too hard a time last night. I have a twin, so I know how siblings can be.”

“Oh, he was fine.” He sincerely hoped that her sibling was nothing like Ultron.

They stood staring at one another until she said, “Um, can I please come in? You are opening up, aren’t you?” It was only then that he realized he was blocking the door. The fight against the blush rising in his face was over before it began. He stepped aside and pulled the door open for her. He flipped on the open sign behind her as she moved toward the counter.

“What can I get you today? Same as yesterday?”

“I think I need a large latte today, to go.”

“Right away.” He went through the motions of making the coffee and steaming the milk, but half his attention was on the girl across from him. Carefully pouring the foam, he attempted to not repeat the same mistake from yesterday. However, he made the mistake of glancing up at her at the wrong moment. Her smiling attention on his hands made them shake, destroying the design again. “I apologize. I’ll take this one if you don’t mind waiting a little longer.”

He was amazed that she was not laughing at him. “I have time.” He repeated the same process. This time he turned around to the opposite counter to complete the foam art. Keeping it simple, he let out a breath when he formed his often-used flower without incident. He handed it to her and was met with a beaming smile. “Thank you. This is beautiful.”

“You are most welcome. Thank you for your patience.” He cleaned the equipment while waiting for the next customer to come in. When he looked up, she was still there, sipping her coffee. “Do you mind if I ask what brings you in so early? We rarely see a customer before six or six thirty.”

“Sure. I’m a high school music teacher. We have an in-service day today. I’m supposed to be there at seven, but I usually need a couple hours to myself before I can handle my colleagues.”

“Ah, I’ll leave you to it then. Have a good day.” He smiled at her one more time.

“I don’t mind your company,” she responded quickly, blushing. “You’ve just never met my co-workers. They’re a lot. Besides, your coffee’s getting cold.” She nodded to the cup that he had abandoned.

He glanced around the shop. There really wasn’t much to do until another customer showed up. Taking her invitation, he leaned sideways against the counter, so that he was facing her diagonally and his face was closer to eye level with her. He drank his lukewarm, but still decent, coffee. They talked about nothing until she looked at her watch and said she had to leave. He watched her go wistfully after bidding her farewell.

***

A few days later Wanda stopped by the shop again as she walked to work. As usual when she was there in the mornings, no one was inside. She approached the counter, but the space behind it was empty. The regular barista emerged from a back room, wiping his hands on his apron and smiling apologetically at her. “Hello again, what can I get you today?”

“I’ll have a large latte.” She handed him some money and dropped the change in the tip jar. “Could I make a request for my foam art?”

“Please. I will do what I can.”

“Could you make me a cute animal?”

“Yes, I can do that. Any particular animal?” She shook her head. He looked deep in thought for a moment and turned around to create the foam art. He handed it to her with a tentative smile. The grin that bloomed on her face as she saw the cat that he had made encouraged a grin in him as well.

“Thank you. This is just what I needed.” The nightmares had been particularly bad last night, and she just needed something light and cheerful.

“My pleasure.” She wished that she could stay longer, but she was running later than usual. She hoped that they had more customers at other times. Now that she had found this place, she wanted to keep coming back.

***

“You know, you should wear name tags.” Vision looked up in surprise. He had not heard the bell on the door jingle when the woman who had been brightening up his mornings so much came in.

A smile spread helplessly across his face. “Why is that?”

“It would save a lot of awkwardness when you’ve had multiple conversations with a person and never learned their name.”

“Ah, well, there is less awkwardness when your conversation partner has not asked your name either.”

She laughed and held out her hand. “Good point. The name’s Wanda.”

He shook it gingerly, his long fingers engulfing her smaller hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Vision.”

“Vision?” Her confusion was a common reaction, but this time it was delivered without the usual mockery. “Is that your given name?”

“No,” he began in a practiced explanation, “it is a nickname, but it seems to have stuck.”

“It does suit you.” No one had ever responded in that way. It made him appreciate the demeaning nickname that Ultron had given him as a child, based on the special coke-bottle glass that he wore when he was younger, for the first time. Wanda’s fingers were tapping against the counter, and she bit her lip. “Are you going to ask what my order is?”

“Oh, apologies.” Vision hoped that his flush was not too evident because his face felt like it was on fire. “What are you having this morning?”

Her smile was reassuring, and no judgment could be found on her face. “No worries. I feel like a hot chocolate today, for here.”

“Right away. Whipped cream?”

“Of course. Does anyone ever say no to that?” She grinned and slid into what was becoming her usual chair at the counter.

“Occasionally. I don’t like to assume.”

“Well, count me in.” He squirted a generous dollop of cream into her mug. At her imploring look, he held back a chuckle and added a little more.

They spent the next hour in pleasant conversation, and the rising sun outside matched the glow that was building in Vision’s chest.

***

The next week Wanda was on vacation during the school’s winter break and took the opportunity to visit her brother. When she returned, she practically skipped into the coffee shop. It was still mostly empty, though it was mid-afternoon on a Saturday. But the face at the counter was not the one with the gentle smile and blue eyes that she wanted to see. Instead it was the brother, whose cold, calculating gaze made her shiver slightly. “Well, well, hello there. Such a pleasant surprise to see you back. I’m sorry again for my brother’s incompetence the last time you came in.” Somehow, she was not surprised that Vision had apparently not told his brother that she had been in since then; the thought that their morning conversations were just for them was gratifying. “He’s always been somewhat useless.”

She suppressed the hot defense that leapt to her lips, which was ridiculous seeing as she had only talked to him a few times. “The coffee was delicious. That’s why I’m back. I’ll have just a small black coffee today, please.”

He handed her the cup. Once she was holding it, he placed his hand over hers, trapping her. “I was hoping you would come back. My friend is opening a new club next weekend. VIP grand opening, exclusive, bottle service, the whole works. He said I could bring a plus one, and I would love for you to accompany me.”

“Thank you, but I already have plans.” Doing anything else. She tried to pull her hand back, but he only squeezed it harder.

“At least think about it.” He didn’t even know her name, and he gave no indication of being interested in it. He had the air of someone who was used to getting his way and not taking no for an answer.

Wanda conceded, “Alright.” He finally released her. He didn’t have to know that she would not do any such thing. She sat at a far corner table and finished her coffee quickly. She took one last look over her shoulder before she left.

***

Ultron strode into their living room and slammed the front door behind him, glaring at the books spread out on the table. “While you were off swanning in your books, that girl whose coffee you ruined the other day showed up again.”

Trying not to show too much interest, Vision said, “Oh?” Wanda had not appeared for over a week since their last early morning conversation, and he was beginning to think that he had said something wrong. Though he could not fathom what he could have done.

“She turned me down.” Vision schooled his face into a commiserating frown. Ultron shook off his rejection, refusing to believe that any woman would fail to be charmed by him. “Well, she’ll change her mind.” Ultron continued in that vein until he turned in for the night.

The next morning Wanda was unexpectedly waiting at the door of the shop when Vision opened. “Good morning.” He ushered her inside the shop. “You don’t have to go into work on a Saturday, do you?”

As he settled in behind the counter, she reached the register. “No, I have a yoga class at six.”

“Ah, at the studio down the street?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “Have you been?”

“I tried it once.” He trailed off vaguely. His last yoga class was not an experience that he wanted to dwell on or repeat.

“Only once? You didn’t like it?”

Vision felt his face burn. “It was fine, but I accidentally kicked someone who was next to me.” His limbs had gotten away from him, and he had vowed never to return to the studio. Eager to change the subject, he asked, “So what would you like this morning?”

“A large latte, for here.” He nodded at her and set to work putting on the coffee.

“Do you have a request for your design today?”

“No, surprise me.” He finished her drink. At least it was getting easier to work around her. His hand did not shake at all as he poured the foam to make an elephant face. Vision catalogued the smile that bloomed on her face to save in his memory.

That day was just the beginning of a new expectation that she would be there when the shop opened. A week later Wanda was sitting across the counter from him at 5:15 am for the fifth morning in a row. Her order changed frequently, but he could always count on her to linger on and talk with him about television and movies, the weather, current events, anything and everything under the sun.

“What do you do when you’re not giving me coffee?” she asked, leaning her elbows comfortably on the counter while he inventoried some of their supplies.

He hesitated, not wanting to seem completely pathetic, but there was really only one answer to give. “I study.”

“There must be more than that.”

“In all honesty not much lately. I was close to finishing a Ph.D. in history when I came back to work at the shop full time. I have been trying to finish my dissertation in my spare time.”

“Ooh, could I read it when you finish?”

Her enthusiasm forced a laugh from him. “You may, but I am not sure you’d want to.”

“I think I do. What’s it about?”

“It is about how technology has shaped what it means to be human since the Industrial Revolution.”

“Sounds interesting.” Vision didn’t think she was pretending, and it made him smile. “When do you think you’ll be done?”

“A few months to a year, perhaps.”

“What happens after that?”

“I am not entirely certain. I suppose I will look for a professorship.” Truthfully, he did not know if anything would change. The shop still needed to be looked after, and Ultron was unwilling to hire more people than necessary.

“Good luck.”

“Thank you. And you? What do you do when you’re not teaching or going to yoga classes?”

“Um, teaching, grading, and running the theater program take up most of my time. Then, I usually practice my instruments.”

“What instruments do you play?”

“The piano, cello, and guitar.”

“Very impressive.”

She shrugged. “It’s just something that I enjoy.”

“I hope to hear you play some day.” She ducked her head, and he wondered if he had overstepped. But when she raised her head again, a pleased smile graced her lips.

“Maybe some day.” Glancing down at her watch, she frowned. “I have to go. Have a good day, Vision.”

“You as well, Wanda. Will I see you tomorrow?”

“Of course, I can’t do yoga without getting my caffeine fix first.” She waved as she walked out the door. He found himself smiling unconsciously throughout the morning, trying to avoid Ultron’s attention and thinking about what design he would make for Wanda the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda sleeps in, Ultron is his smarmy self, and Vision celebrates Valentine's Day.

A/N: The shirt that Vision wore on Valentine’s Day in the second half of this chapter was inspired by this wonderful piece of fanart by @lazy-stitch on Tumblr: <http://lazy-stitch.tumblr.com/post/177990036362/something-simple-and-soothing-for-the-soul>.

* * *

 

Wanda listened to the fourth audition for the lead role in the school’s production of _The Phantom of the Opera_. It was the best so far, but she hoped one of the next three students would do better. When the girl finished, Wanda smiled and thanked her. 

After another hour of auditions, Wanda was finally able to go home for the night. The evening passed uneventfully. She rarely did anything on school nights. She simply sat down to a frozen portion of a meal she had batch cooked over the weekend and practiced her instruments for a while. Then, the gentle drone of the television lulled her to sleep on her sofa. 

Wanda opened her eyes and stretched, rolling her shoulders and trying to work out the crick in her neck. It took her a moment to realize that the sun was unusually bright. She cursed when she looked over her shoulder and saw the time on her microwave clock. Running into her room to throw on clothes, run a brush through her hair, and brush her teeth quickly, she spared a thought that she would not have time to get coffee this morning for the first time in more than a month. 

She took her seldom-used car to save herself a few minutes and managed to make it to her first class just in time for the bell. She tried to play it cool, like the adult she was, but she did notice snickers coming from a few of her students. 

By the time lunch came around, her eyelids felt like they were being dragged down by lead weights. Her colleague Mantis knocked on her partially-open door, and Wanda invited her in. “Hello, Wanda.”

“Hey, Mantis.”

“Are you coming to the lounge for lunch?” 

“No, I was going to walk to a coffee shop down the street.” It was solely for necessary caffeine she told herself. It had nothing to do with not having seen Vision that day. “Do you want to come?” 

“Oh, that sounds nice.” 

As they walked, they made small talk. Wanda always found talking to Mantis soothing. She was Wanda’s favorite person among all her more boisterous colleagues. Mantis always knew exactly what to say and when not to say anything. The shop was a little more crowded than usual, with people scattered at several tables. Fortunately, Vision was the one at the counter. 

He smiled as they approached. “Hello, Wanda.” He nodded politely at Mantis. 

“Hi, Vision. This is my friend Samantha.”

“Pleasure to meet you. What can I get for you both?” They ordered lattes and sat at the counter. Wanda tried not pay any attention to the way Mantis’s eyes were darting between her and Vision. Mantis was duly impressed with Vision’s foam art, this time an abstract geometric design and another type of flower. 

Vision smiled at Wanda as he handed her a cup, the tips of their fingers just barely brushing against each other. Mantis’s scrutiny made Wanda acutely aware of the soft quality to Vision’s eyes when he looked at her. She couldn’t help but return it. “I was hoping everything was alright when you didn’t come in this morning. You haven’t missed a day in weeks.” 

Wanda blushed, and she could feel Mantis’s eyes grow even more intent. “Yeah, I just accidentally fell asleep on my couch last night and didn’t hear my alarm until I was almost late for work.” 

Vision’s eyes crinkled at the corners as his smile deepened. “Ah, we’ve all done that at one time or another.” He turned his attention back to cleaning the coffee equipment. 

Pausing halfway through wiping down the counter, he asked, “Have you found your leads for _Phantom_ yet?”

“I think so. Not the cream of the crop this year, but they’ll do.”

His eyes moved toward Mantis as he asked, “And what subject do you teach, Samantha?”

“Oh, you can call me Mantis. Everyone I know does. I’m the school counselor.” She looked between Vision and Wanda again, and Wanda hoped that Vision did not notice. “Have you known Wanda long, Vision?”

“A little over two months.” He settled in with an elbow leaning on the counter. She could see the “Why?” burning behind his eyes, but he said nothing more. 

Wanda quickly changed the subject to a sci-fi book that she had recently finished based on Vision’s recommendation. It was a good choice because both Mantis and Vision were fans of the work and had read many other works by the author. The conversation kept them distracted until it was time for her and Mantis to return to school.

On their way back, Mantis said, “You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend, Wanda.” She skipped ahead a few paces and then waited for Wanda to catch up. 

Heat crawled up Wanda’s cheeks. It was almost pleasant in the cold winter air. “I don’t. He just makes me coffee and we chat.” 

“It seemed like more than that. He could not stop staring at you.” 

“He’s just being nice,” Wanda protested.

“If you say so.” They walked in silence for a few more minutes when a new thought seemed to strike Mantis. “But you’ve been voluntarily getting up early to come down for coffee every day?” 

“It’s just a nice, relaxed way to start the morning.” Mantis finally let the subject drop, but Wanda knew that she had done nothing to change her mind. They parted ways to head to their afternoon classes, and Wanda tried not to think any more about it.

***

Vision sat in the local university library on a Saturday, attempting to draft a newer section of his dissertation. His study carrel was full of books, reserved for him over the past few months as he devoted as much time as possible to finishing his work. He enjoyed the quiet atmosphere. There were still a few weeks until mid-terms, so there weren’t many full-time students around. 

His friend Jane pushed a cart past him, restocking the shelves. “How’s the progress today, Vision?”

“It is all going well enough.” In truth, he had been stuck on the same part for weeks, but he felt it was appropriate to stick to the social niceties. “Thank you for asking.” He ran a hand over his face, trying to clear his mind and take a break from the computer screen. “I think I may be done for today, though.” 

“That’s a good idea. Give yourself a break.” Jane placed a few more books in empty slots. “Hey, before you go, I was wondering if you’d like to come to a party at my house in a few weeks. My boyfriend Thor is visiting from Norway.” 

Vision was a little taken aback; he rarely received party invitations. “Why yes, thank you, Jane.”

“Good. I’ll send you the details when it gets closer.” With that she moved on with her cart. 

***

Wanda entered the coffee shop on a whim one afternoon only to see Vision’s brother at the counter. It was too late to just back out the door because he was already smiling invitingly at her. She wrapped her cardigan more closely around herself. “I’m glad you’re back. You never took me up on my invitation.” He leaned forward against the counter, getting into her personal space. Seeing her step back, he added, “You know, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” His smile flashed brilliantly, in what he must think was a charming manner, but really just showed too many teeth. “I’m Ultron.” It was something of an odd name, but she had no interest in discovering its origin. He gave it to her anyway. “My high school football team gave me that the year we won the state championship. I was the quarterback.” 

“Wanda.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally get your name, Wanda.” The way he drew out the word “pleasure” and her name exasperated her. For some reason, she always seemed to attract attention from this kind of conceited, overgrown frat boy. 

Wanda worked to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “Right, well, I don’t have much time. Could I get a black coffee to go, please?”

“Can’t you spare just a few minutes?” 

Wanda forced her mouth to form an apologetic smile. “Unfortunately, I have to get going.” Ultron took his sweet time with her simple order, but he finally handed her the cup. Managing to snatch her hand away before he caught her again, she said a quick thank you and exited the shop. 

As she was leaving, Vision was parking in the small parking lot on the side of the shop. He smiled and paused to lean against his car when he saw her. “Hello, Wanda.” 

“Hey, Vision.” She grinned back at him. “I’ve never actually seen you outside the shop.” He looked out of place not surrounded by a counter. 

“Well, it is rare that I go out.” She could imagine, what with all the shifts he took on at the shop and his work on his dissertation. 

“What was the occasion?” 

“I was studying and drafting. My brother hates the sight of my books spread out on the kitchen table.” The image of him with books piled all around him and holding one open in front of him, perhaps with glasses perched low on his nose, was cute. 

Drifting closer until she was standing just on the other side of his car, Wanda asked, “How far did you get?”

“Oh, far enough.” Vision almost seemed to wave the question away, and she suspected it had not been going well, but she didn’t want to press. “How was your yoga class this morning?”

She chuckled a bit. “The instructor kicked my ass. I need to practice more during the week.” She caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye and noted that Ultron was leaning out of the front door, staring at them. “Sorry, I’d better go. I told your brother I had to leave.”

“Have a pleasant day, Wanda.” 

“You too, Vizh. See you tomorrow.” He no longer questioned why she came in at the same time on Sunday mornings, though she had no good excuse and nowhere to be, and she was grateful not to have to come up with a lame, unconvincing excuse. 

***

Upon closing, Vision climbed the steps wearily. The lights were off in the living room that separated his and Ultron’s bedrooms. “Don’t even think about it, little brother.” The lights switched on to reveal Ultron just sitting there. 

Vision tried not to jump at his brother’s sudden presence. He paused where he stood, hand paused on the handle of his bedroom door. “What do you mean?”

“Wanda is far too hot for you.” Vision sighed internally. He had been afraid that was the direction Ultron was heading. It was one of the main reasons that Vision never let on just how frequently Wanda came to the shop. He supposed that he was being selfish, but he knew that there would never be another peaceful morning conversation if Ultron saw an opportunity to pursue Wanda in earnest. Vision felt less guilty when he considered that Wanda had evinced no interest in being near Ultron.

“We are friends. There is nothing more between us.” The words were as much to convince himself as to convince Ultron. The more time passed, the more that seeing Wanda Maximoff was the best part of his day. He did not like to give more thought to that than necessary, for fear of losing her friendship, certain that she could never feel the same way. 

Ultron gave an exaggerated scoff. “And there never will be. You’re wasting your time. There’s only one reason to be friends with a woman.”

“I disagree. I simply enjoy her company.” When he had been younger and more naïve, Vision had tried to explain to his brother that he did not think about the same way Ultron did, but he’d given that up long ago. 

Ultron shook his head as he turned on the television, dismissing Vision from his thoughts. “Just keep it that way.” 

***

The next week was Valentine’s Day. Hearts littered the shop, filling every corner with red and pink. Wanda hated Valentine’s Day. The only thing that held her back from expressing her distaste was Vision’s evident enthusiasm. Made clear by everything from the decorations to the special menu items to the white button-down with small pink flowers he wore that day.

“Here’s your hot chocolate, Wanda. Would you like a cookie as well?”

“Sure.” He handed her a heart-shaped sugar cookie with pink frosting. “This is delicious. Thanks.”

“My pleasure. I think Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday.” 

“I never would’ve guessed,” she teased. He sent her an exaggerated frown, and she laughed.

“Do you have any plans for tonight?” Wanda couldn’t help but imagine that he looked like he was dreading the answer. Their love lives were one of the few subjects they never touched on in their far-reaching conversations. 

“Just Skyping with my brother. We always promised to be each other’s Valentines if we were single.” Pietro was only too happy that she was still single as usual.

“I thought you said that your brother was always dating someone.” 

“Most of the time, but he hates to start dating someone around Valentine’s Day. He’s convinced the person would think he was much more serious about them than he really was.” She grinned at him. “What about you?” 

“Oh, I will just be working. All the students who work part-time requested the night off. I’m happy to oblige and let people celebrate with their loved ones.” Wanda was impressed, but not surprised, by his selflessness.

“And your brother?” Vision seemed surprised that she was asking. “You said he liked to play the field as much as mine does.” 

“He has a date.” She nodded, and he paused, studying her face. “That doesn’t bother you, does it?”

“No! I haven’t been giving off the impression that I have any interest in your brother’s romantic life, have I?” She didn’t know how she could have; she’d done everything within the bounds of simple politeness to stay away from him.

“No, it’s just that you asked what he was doing tonight, and he has been hoping that you felt favorably toward him.”

“Well, I don’t. Uh, no offense.” He brightened measurably at that. “Please don’t tell him that. I don’t want there to be any tension between us. Where else would I get my coffee?” Wanda hoped that she made it clear that she wasn’t really concerned about the coffee, as much as her friendship with Vision. 

“Your secret is safe with me.” He winked at her, making her heart flutter unexpectedly. 

On a whim, Wanda added, “Maybe I’ll stop by tonight after I’m done talking with my brother.” 

“You’re always welcome.” His beaming lopsided grin made her grateful that she had said something. She imagined that Pietro might look for an excuse to cut the conversation short anyway, as he typically had to get up at 4:30 am for practices. 

Wanda looked at her watch and picked up her scarf and coat from the back of the chair. “Gotta go. See you.” 

“Have a good day.” 

***

Even though she had said she might come back, Vision was surprised to see Wanda walk through the front door later that night. The shop was full of teenagers experiencing their first taste of love and gazing into each other’s eyes. It was simultaneously adorable and dispiriting, highlighting his own lack of a love life.

“Good evening, Wanda.” He noted that she was holding back laughter and felt his brow furrow in confusion. “What’s so funny?” 

“Hey.” She pointed to the light above his head, over which he’d thrown a gauzy red scarf for added ambiance. “It’s making your hair look pink.” 

“Oh.” He ran a hand through his hair self-consciously, certain that his deepening blush would only make him look pink from head to foot. Which only made the blush worse. But Wanda was only smiling gently at him. Vision cleared his throat to change the subject. “What would you like to drink?” 

“Herbal tea, please, and do you have any of those cookies from this morning left?” He set a tea bag in some hot water and pulled out a plate from underneath the counter. 

Wanda made a little hand-waving gesture of denial. “I don’t want to take it if you were saving it for yourself.” 

“Why don’t we split it?” 

“Sounds good. Thank you.” He handed her the tea and cut the cookie precisely in two for her. 

Vision asked, “How is your brother?” 

“He’s enjoying himself at his coaching job. At the number one cross country school in the country as he never fails to remind me.” He chuckled with her at her brother’s boasting, but he noted that her eyes were growing misty. Her brother was the only family member she ever mentioned, and he hesitated to pry into the reason for his silence. Vision had his own family tragedies. “He was teasing me about the weather. It was 70 degrees in Florida today.” 

“That does sound lovely.” Someone came to the counter, and Vision excused himself to wait on her.

Then, they discussed their days. Wanda shared some juicy gossip about some of her students that she couldn’t keep quiet about. How one student named Peter had been living a double life as a graduate teaching assistant at the local university and got caught when his homecoming date’s father recognized him. Vision informed her about some of his recent research, about which she displayed a gratifying level of interest. The shop gradually emptied out as they continued talking. “Is there anything I can do to help you clean up?” 

“You don’t have to, Wanda.” He shook his head emphatically as he looked around the shop, surveying what needed to be done before closing. “It will only take me a few minutes.” 

“I want to. Besides I was distracting you.” His head ducked slightly. 

“If you insist.” Vision handed her a damp rag. She wiped down the tables, and they both put the chairs up on the tabletops. He quickly swept the floor, which only had a smattering of crumbs on it. “Thank you for your help.” 

“Any time. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Vision had half-expected her to say that she wouldn’t be in the next day, but he was only too happy that he would see her again in less than twelve hours. 

“Have a good night.” He thought of offering to walk her home, but her apartment was only ten minutes away, and he knew how much she valued her independence. He simply locked up behind her and gave her a final wave where she stood under the streetlamp.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda attends a party, she and Vision spend some more time together outside the shop, and there is a slight misunderstanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read and/or left kudos or comments on the first two chapters. It is always appreciated.

Natasha wrapped both arms around one of Wanda’s as she pulled her along. “Come on, we have to get there early so we can scope out the room. Apparently, Thor is bringing a bunch of his hot friends. I could be your wing woman, help set you up with a strapping Norwegian guy.”

Wanda groaned. “Thanks, Nat, but I’m really not interested.” Nat and some of her other colleagues refused to give up trying to play matchmaker, no matter how many times Wanda told them to knock it off.

“How do you know if you haven’t even seen them yet?” Wanda was fairly confident, but she didn’t want to argue with Nat right now. “Just keep an open mind.”

“Fine.”

When they rang the doorbell, Thor let them in, immediately crushing them in tight hugs and ushering them to a table laden with food and drinks. There were indeed a number of tall blond men standing around. Wanda almost didn’t notice a man at the edge of the group who stood a few inches taller than the rest until he turned around to reveal Vision. His eyes widened when he saw her.

Wanda took a few steps to meet him half way. They smiled at each other a bit dazedly. Vision always dressed well, but his outfit today was not disguised by an unflattering apron. His slim-fitting light blue button down and dark jeans enhanced his lanky frame. “Hey, Vizh, I didn’t realize you would be here. Do you know Jane?”

“Oh, yes. She works at the library I frequent. How do you know her?”

“It’s kind of a loose connection. Thor went to college with one of my co-workers, Tony; Tony was the one who introduced him and Jane. And Tony always just drags the rest of the staff along to these kinds of things whenever Thor visits.”

Natasha cleared her throat beside Wanda. “Vision, this is Nat. Nat, Vision.”

Natasha extended her hand, and Vision shook it. “Nice to meet you.” She turned to stage whisper to Wanda. “I can see why you turned down my offer earlier.” With a wink, she added, “I have to go say hello to Jane.” Wanda was blushing fiercely now. Vision’s brow was slightly furrowed, but he just smiled at her when they were alone.

“Don’t mind Nat.” Wanda would have to have a serious talk with her later. Fortunately, Vision didn’t press.

All around them, music was starting, and people were mingling. Wanda and Vision took their drinks and moved farther to the side. They talked quietly between themselves. It was nice to have someone to share the fringes of the party with, someone who didn’t try to force her into the center of the action.  

Eventually they moved to a couch in a room that was situated behind the main living area. Though the house’s floor plan was open, which made for good people watching. Wanda filled Vision in on who everyone was and who else was likely to be coming later. Vision in turn told her his first impressions. She lost track of how many times she chuckled with him.

Half an hour later Tony made his grand entrance, greeting Thor boisterously and trailing Bruce, Steve, and Bucky, with the latter three instantly seeking out the food and drinks. When his eyes fell on Wanda, sitting on a couch next to Vision, Tony practically shouted, “Maximoff! I didn’t think you were coming tonight.”

Giving him a flat stare, Wanda said shortly, “Well, Nat dragged me.”

“And who’s this?” He gestured toward Vision. Wanda was mildly concerned by Tony’s barely contained expression of glee.

“This is my friend, Vision.” She placed the slightest emphasis on the word “friend,” knowing that it would go unheeded by Tony.

“Good to meet you,” Tony said as he held out his hand. “How do you know our lovely Wanda?”

Vision answered, glancing first at Wanda and smiling, “Wanda very kindly declined to laugh at me when I ruined her coffee. I was surprised to see her come back, but I’ve gotten much better since then.”

“He actually makes the best coffee.” Wanda defended Vision against himself.

Tony’s expression grew even cheekier. “Sounds like a good meet-cute.”

Wanda tried to project an air of indifference and refused to rise to his bait. “Hey, Tony, I just saw Pepper walk in. Don’t you have some wooing to do?” Tony immediately perked up and looked around the room in search of the new CEO of his father’s former company.

“Thanks, Maximoff.” He rushed off, attempting to arrange his hair and pasting on an ingratiating smile.

Wanda turned back to Vision. “Don’t mind him either.”

“I won’t.” Vision took a sip of his drink before leaning into her just slightly and whispering, “I can see now why you need some time to yourself before you face your colleagues in the morning.”

A little while later, Steve and Bucky joined them on the couch. Bucky, the school’s history teacher, and Vision got into an in-depth discussion of military strategy in the Vietnam War while Wanda and Steve merely listened.

This was by far the best party she had attended since moving here. Perhaps she could invite Vision to all of these things in the future.

***

“So, would you ever want to spend time with me outside the shop in a planned way?” Wanda helped refill the sugar packets and other supplies on the counter as the remnants of an early spring snowfall dusted the ground outside.

“Certainly.” The immediacy of his own response embarrassed him, but Wanda only smiled. “What would you like to do?”

“The orchestra is playing at the university concert hall tonight, and I was wondering if you’d like to go with me.” Vision tried not to read too much into the late notice. Even if it was desperation that was driving her to invite him, it was still a nice gesture. He could not interpret the look she gave him as anything other than hopeful.

“I would love to go.”

“Okay. Great. We’ll meet there?” He nodded. “Could I have your number in case we have trouble finding each other?”

“Of course.” Wanda handed him her phone. “I have to go, but I’ll text you my name so you have it.”

“I will look forward to it.” After he entered his information, he handed Wanda back her phone.

“It starts at 7, so meet there at 6:30?”

“Agreed.” She waved at him on her way out.

The day passed much more slowly than usual. When one of the students who worked part-time arrived at five, he went upstairs to change into trousers and a suit jacket. Ultron raised an eyebrow at him as he emerged from his room. “Where are you going?”

“There’s a lecture at the university.” He wasn’t quite certain what led him to lie, but he felt compelled to avoid mention of Wanda.

“Sounds _riveting_.” Vision simply ignored him. He had struggled when he was younger to handle his brother’s scorn, but he had learned that he must learn to let it glance off him if he was to have any semblance of peace. He supposed the next step was to actively stand up to Ultron, but he was never quite successful at that.

“I will be back late.”

“Fine, fine.”

When Vision arrived at the front of the concert hall, he waited at the bottom of the steps with his hands in his pockets. Wanda walked up a few minutes later in a long black coat with her hair pulled back in a sleek bun. “Hey, Vision.” As she came closer, he noted that her sparkling copper eyeshadow made her eyes look impossibly green.

“Hello, Wanda. You look lovely tonight.” Her wind-flushed cheeks grew darker.

“Thanks.” He offered her his arm and they climbed the steps to the front door. The lobby was crowded with well-dressed people milling around. Hangers were available in front of the doors that led into the seating area. Wanda removed her coat, revealing a knee-length red dress with a full tulle skirt and lace appliques on the bodice. He found himself staring at her and took her coat to distract himself.

As they took their seats, Wanda said, “They’re playing my favorite symphony. Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor.”

“I’m afraid that means nothing to me.”

“That’s okay, but you’ll like it.” The lights blinked to indicate that the concert would be starting soon. A few minutes later, the opening notes of the symphony washed over him. Vision was no expert, but their playing sounded excellent to him. Wanda was leaning forward in rapt attention.

At the intermission, Wanda turned to him and asked, “What do you think?”

“It’s wonderful. Thank you for inviting me.”

“I was glad you could come at the last minute. I was going to come with Mantis, but something came up at the last minute.” Vision felt a surge of relief that the late notice was only due to a change of plans.

The rest of the concert was equally fantastic. Vision found himself lost in the story of the music, carried away on waves of melody. Each movement had its own signature, and the development of the various themes was enchanting.

At the end of the night, Vision walked Wanda to her car. “Thank you again for coming with me. A lot of people find this stuff boring.”

“Not at all. I enjoyed myself thoroughly.” He was warmed by her beaming smile. As they went their separate ways, it was that, and not the music, that stayed with Vision the most.

***

Wanda walked out to the parking lot with Mantis. Mantis started smiling broadly when she saw Vision, who was waiting for Wanda. Wanda chose to ignore her and tried not to react. “Good afternoon, Samantha, Wanda.” Vision’s gaze lingered on Wanda.

“Hello, Vision. Have a nice evening. I’ll see you tomorrow, Wanda.” Wanda and Vision waved at her as she walked toward her car.

Wanda turned to Vision. “Hi.” She smiled at him, hoping that she didn’t look like too much of a simpering idiot.

“Hi,” Vision returned. She felt better when his own smile turned vaguely sentimental. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah.” She gestured toward her late-model Honda. “I’ve been wanting to see this movie since it came out.” They entered her car, and she pulled out of the parking lot. The movie theater was only fifteen minutes away. They easily filled up the entire car ride with speculation about how the movie would go and what they were most excited to see.

With it being a weeknight in the early evening, the theater was mostly empty. There were only about five other people scattered around their screening. They chose to sit in the first row of the main section, so that they could put their feet up against the bars in front of them. As the lights went down, they fell silent, having agreed that talking during movies was a grave error.

Wanda and Vision spent the ride home discussing the movie and the trailers for future movies. They were both most excited about a new comic book movie that was coming out in a few months. The previous movie in the franchise had ended on such a cliffhanger, and Wanda had always loved those worlds. American comic books had been a great source of escapism for her and Pietro in Sokovia before they moved to the States.

“We should go see that on opening night when it comes out.”

“I am eager to see it as well.” He paused. She could barely see his face out of the corner of her eye, and it was a struggle to concentrate on the road in front of her. “Would you ever consider dressing up?”

“Absolutely. I went as one of the characters for Halloween.”

As Wanda was parking on the street a few doors down from the shop, Vision said, “Thank you for tonight. It was lovely.”

“I had fun, too.”

He began to open the door, but he turned back to her. Wanda was about to ask if something was wrong when he lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles. “Thank you again.” Smiling helplessly at him, she watched as he walked down the street after a final wave goodbye.

***

The next morning Wanda did not show up at her usual time. Nor the morning after that. Vision was starting to panic that he had seriously overstepped when he kissed her hand. She had seemed pleased, he thought, but perhaps she was only being nice. He’d never felt drawn to anyone romantically before. He had never regretted it or felt ashamed of his lack of experience, jibes from his brother notwithstanding, but he now wished that he had a little more aptitude for reading women’s possible signals.

He had thought of texting her, but he didn’t know if that would be welcome either.

Ultron had noticed his change in mood, though he did not know the source, and even offered advice, but Vision had no interest in his brother’s proposed solution.

On the third morning, Wanda breezed in as if nothing had changed. “Hey, Vizh.” Upon reaching the counter and seeing Vision’s face, her carefree grin fell. “I’m sorry I didn’t come around the last few days.”

“Oh, it’s alright,” he quickly sought to reassure her. “I was merely hoping that you weren’t upset with me.”

She looked genuinely confused, and he let out a breath that he had been unconsciously holding. “Upset with you? Why would I be upset with you?”

“For presuming to kiss your hand the other night.”

“No! Vizh, that was fine.” Her cheeks grew redder and she looked away. “I just had a few rough nights in a row and didn’t wake up early enough.” Wanda had told him about her frequent insomnia before, though he always sensed there was more to it. “I should have let you know.”

“It’s perfectly alright, Wanda.”

Wanda shook her head. “It’s okay to be upset. I just shut down sometimes when my nightmares are bad.” That was the first time she had ever explicitly mentioned the cause of her insomnia.

“Your well-being is more important.” She did not seem entirely convinced, so he added in what he hoped was a tone of gentle teasing, “But if you would like to make it up to me, you can refill the lids, straws, and napkins.” She only smiled and walked behind the counter, picking up the supplies from the location that he had showed her previously. Once she had finished, she was looking less guilty, much to his relief.

“I think my penance is complete.” Nerves still lingered in the set of her mouth, but the wariness had left her eyes and her tone was equally teasing.

He smiled at her, happy that the familiar lightness of their friendship was restored. “You went above and beyond.”

“So…we’re good?”

“Of course, Wanda.” Wanda grinned at him fully. She returned to her seat, and Vision admired the way the lamps shone warmly on her hair and skin. “Oh, I almost forgot, I have a new customer order for the record books.” She leaned forward eagerly as they continued their ongoing competition to see who had the craziest story about a student or customer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As spring progresses, so do Wanda's and Vision's feelings.

As April began, Wanda only grew busier. Preparations for the show proceeded apace. She had to grant that the students she had chosen for the show were eager and dedicated, but she could have wished they had more experience. She worked with them hour after hour, concentrating to maintain her patience.

She looked forward evermore to her mornings with Vision as a calm oasis to start the whirlwind of her days. Arriving one morning, she was surprised to find a woman with long dark hair leaving the shop with a cup of coffee in hand. They smiled slightly at each other while the woman politely held the door for Wanda, but an odd feeling was forming in Wanda’s gut. Vision greeted her with his usual smile. 

Wanda forced her expression into a more relaxed smile. “I’ve never seen anyone else here this early. Was she a customer or did you have a date last night?” She arched an eyebrow at him for added effect. She hoped her tone came across as light and teasing, as she intended, and that the negativity that was roiling in her stomach didn’t leak into her voice.

Vision immediately turned bright red at the implication. She felt guilty briefly, but he was too adorable to dwell on that. “A…a customer.” After taking a moment to collect himself, he added, “I don’t date. Typically.” She hadn’t thought so, seeing as he never mentioned anything like that during their talks. And he seemed to avoid talking of any past lovers as thoroughly as she avoided topics that might lead to her family. His confirmation still filled her with more comfort than she expected. 

But as his cheeks were gradually losing their heightened color and he remained wringing the towel he held in his hands, she couldn’t resist teasing him a little more. Drawing her hands together under her chin, she pouted and added, “Another early morning customer. I thought what we had was special.” 

“It-it is,” Vision stammered out frantically before realizing that she was joking when she grinned at him. “Oh, well, you are the only customer whom I consider my best friend.” His nervousness was obvious as he made that statement.

It took Wanda a moment to reply. Not that there was anything surprising in that admission, but she hadn’t really let herself have a best friend, aside from Pietro, who didn’t count, since she was a child. Meanwhile, Vision was fluttering behind the counter until she said, “You’re my best friend, too, Vizh.”

He finally stilled. “Oh, good.”

“I think it’s a hot chocolate type of day today.” He nodded at her and set to preparing it exactly the way she liked. When he handed her the mug overflowing with whipped cream, she asked, “Do you have any fun plans for tonight?”

“Oh, yes.” His desert dry sarcasm always amused her. “I am reviewing and submitting our taxes for the shop.”

Wanda blinked at him. “There are still ten days until Tax Day.” Though it was perfectly fitting that he would complete it all early, she was still impressed.

“I find it best to complete everything ahead of time, so that there is plenty of time to review the material.”

“Did you always finish your school assignments a few days ahead of time, too?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Vision responded, smirking at her slightly, “Why yes. Did you always complete your assignments at the last minute?”

“Touché.” Wanda took a drink and relished the warmth sliding down her throat. Smiling at him, she settled more comfortably in her seat. After more casual chatting, she came to the question she really wanted to ask. “Are you busy on Saturday night?”

“No, one of our part-time workers is closing up starting at five on Saturday.”

“Mantis is hosting a game night for everyone if you’d like to come.”

“I’d love to. Thank you.” 

***

Vision arrived at the school at four p.m. as arranged, and Wanda greeted him at the door. They passed the main office. He signed in and received a guest badge. Pulling him along toward the auditorium, Wanda gave him a tour of the halls, pointing out the trophy cases and the lockers. 

The stage was full of partially built sets and tools. Several adults and students were milling around. Wanda led him up the steps. Tony was there, as well as Bruce and Natasha. Mantis was painting one of the finished sets. 

A man named Scott was overseeing the building of some of the sets. Vision was paired up with Steve in a far corner of the stage. He started hammering a nail into a leg on the back of one of the walls, so that it would stand up. Meanwhile, Wanda was working with some students on their lines. Steve caught Vision staring, and he attempted to return to work as if nothing had happened.

After a few more minutes, Steve said, “You know, Wanda’s worked here for five years, and I’ve never seen her as happy as she’s been for the last few months.” Vision paused in his work, unsure what to say to that. “We’ve always tried to invite her whenever we went out, but she almost always refused. But lately she’s been joining us all the time.”

“I-.”

Steve took mercy on him. “You don’t have to say anything. I just thought you might be interested in knowing that.” Steve checked his work on the wall and was apparently satisfied. Vision thought he was done until he added, “As an expert in denying feelings for a best friend, I think you should take the risk.”

“I’m glad Wanda is flourishing, but we’re friends.” He avoided adding the “just.” He wasn’t sure why friendship was always relegated to second place. 

“Right. Your choice, of course. I just had to say that.” Having finished his task, Steve clapped him on the shoulder and went off to get a new assignment. Vision continued placing a few nails to secure the pieces of the wall. 

Scott came up to him a few minutes later, giving him a friendly smile. “Everything okay over here?”

“Yes, thank you. I think I’m done.” They lifted the wall into a standing position. 

“You know, Wanda’s great.”

“Yes, she is.” He could sense where this was going. “Have you all been talking about me and Wanda?”

Scott did not look at all guilty, but he nodded. “You’re lucky. Steve and I are the nice ones.” After a pause for dramatic effect, he added, “Mostly.”

“You have nothing to be concerned about. Wanda is my best friend. I promise you that I fully appreciate how special she is.”

“Good. We like you, too, but she came first.”

“I understand.” Vision almost expected Scott to hold out his hand to shake, but he just nodded and strolled away. 

***

The bell clanged cheerfully when Wanda entered the shop. Vision was in the middle placing freshly cut flowers on all the tables. “Oh, peonies! They’re my favorites.” The ones he was putting were beautiful specimens, starting as a deep berry color at the base and fading out to barest blush of pink at the tips of the petals.

“Good to know.” He grinned at her, and she returned it with abandon. He finished putting out the flowers and took her order. She slid into her usual seat. “By the way, I saw this in the library a few days ago and thought of you.”

He handed her a bright blue flier that advertised a community symphony. “Thanks, but I don’t know, it’s been so long since I played seriously with a group.”

“Well, if you decide to play with them, I would love to come listen.”

“I’ll think about it.” She hadn’t played as part of an ensemble since her life had been turned upside down yet again seven years ago. Part of her liked the idea, but it was a reminder of what she could have had. Maybe she could at least call and talk to the director.

***

“The muffin recipe calls for a half cup of sugar, correct?” Vision asked Wanda as he prepared the ingredients in the back room of the shop. 

“Right.” He carefully measured out the sugar into the mixing bowl. He let Wanda turn on the mixer and beat in the other ingredients. Once the batter was complete, he poured it into his miniature muffin tins.

He placed the pan in the oven, and they waited for the muffins to be complete. Despite his protests, Wanda even insisted on helping with the dishes. They carried everything over to the sink. Setting herself up at the sink, she waited for the water to warm up.

As Wanda scrubbed the mixing paddle, she looked up at him, grinning into his eyes. “You haven’t talked about your dissertation much lately. How’s it going?”

Vision could feel himself blushing. “I have not been making as much progress lately as I should. I am still stuck on a new section that my advisor wants me to include. I have to be ready to submit a conference proposal next week.”

“Sounds exciting. When’s the conference?”

“Not until September. It’s certainly not guaranteed to be accepted, but my advisor says that I have good odds if I can just complete this part.”

“Have I been distracting you?” They had spent a number of evenings together over the past few weeks, going to events at the university and having a game night with her friends, except when she was busy with her upcoming show. 

“No, no.” The last thing he needed was for Wanda to think that spending time with her was a burden. “I have simply been blocked. I will figure it out somehow.”

“I know you will.” With the two of them working together, the job was finished quickly. 

When they emerged from the back room while they waited for the muffins to finish baking, Ultron was standing behind the counter. Vision fought the unusual urge to swear. He did not think that he had seen Ultron awake before 8:30 or nine in the morning since he’d moved back home. “Wanda! You’re here early.”

“Yeah, early meeting,” she lied easily. If Vision hadn’t known better, he would have believed her completely. 

“Well, it’s fortunate for you that you don’t need beauty sleep.” Vision noticed Wanda struggling not to roll her eyes, but she made a show of smiling prettily. “Let me take you to dinner.”

“I would, but with the show coming up next month, there’s just too much going on in the evenings.” Wanda edged farther down the counter. 

“Come on.” Ultron leaned toward her, and she subtly leaned back. “Go out with me. It’s just one night.”

“I’m really too busy.” Wanda still maintained her pleasant smile, but her voice had taken on a decided edge. A change apparently not noticed or heeded by Ultron. He continued to smirk at her, now staring her directly in the face. Vision merely stood awkwardly to the side while Wanda shot a glance at him. 

“We could make it quick.” Ultron leaned in even more and winked broadly at her. “It would be good stress relief.”

“Maybe after the school year ends.” Ultron nagged her for a few more minutes before accepting her vague delaying tactics. It was then that the timer for the muffins went off. 

When Vision returned from the back room, Wanda was gone. Ultron was chugging a large cup of coffee and scowling towards the front door. “Why didn’t you wake me up when she came in?”

“I believe you’ve told me in the past not to get you out of bed unless the building was on fire.” 

Ultron turned his glare on Vision. “This is clearly an exception. Unless you were lying about wanting the girl for yourself.”

Vision did not dignify his remark with a response. He turned his attention to arranging the muffins neatly on a platter instead. 

“You know I’ve been after her for months. This was a prime opportunity to get past her defenses. I’m not sure why she’s been so resistant, but she’ll fall to my charms eventually.” His eyes grew distant as he apparently contemplated that eventuality. “It will at least make a good story for the boys when I break her down.”

Vision hid his anger on Wanda’s behalf behind a tightly controlled voice. “I will consider that in the future.” With all the respect that Ultron typically considered Vision’s wishes. There were many things that he was willing to concede to Ultron, but not this. Especially not the way he talked about her as some obstacle to be conquered. 

Ultron stared at Vision before looking him up and down. Vision tried not to slump under his scrutiny, as he used to. Ultron turned to go back upstairs. With a final shrug and smirk at Vision once he reached the first landing, he said, “It’s no matter anyway. No woman could choose you over me. But if you amuse her enough to keep her coming back here, all the better.”

Vision was distracted from his doubts and worries by a few morning customers on their way to work.

***

Wanda sat in her classroom after the last parent had left. She typically enjoyed the school’s more hands-on approach to parent involvement. It was always good to encourage the students both at school and at home, but when the second parent had chewed her out for a solid ten minutes for not giving her child a big enough part in the upcoming show, she wished to keep the parents far away from her space.

After some minutes of blessed silence, she wandered past the teachers’ lounge on her way out. The door was open, and light was pouring out. Sam, who was sitting by the doorway, called out, “Hey, Wanda, come in.” She paused for a minute, but decided to join them. Everyone sitting in a loose circle of mismatched chairs welcomed her in. “The last parent just left, and we all thought we deserved a drink.” She accepted a glass gratefully. “Steve’s not drinking; he and Bucky can give you a ride if you need one later.”

“Thanks.”

Conversation started up again. The teasing back and forth among the group no longer felt so grating. Wanda didn’t waste an opportunity to rib Tony about the new sophomore who had come from abroad and was constantly challenging Tony’s teaching and filling up his office hours, but Tony only good-naturedly said that he looked forward to bragging that he had taught her when she won her Nobel Prize. She felt a pang that she had ignored their overtures for so long. Now that she was getting to know them better, she wished that they could have been friends all along. 

Wanda’s half-empty glass ended up being refilled a couple too many times, so she let Steve and Bucky drive her rather than walk home. She waved at them once she reached the door to her building. Steve refused to drive away until she was all the way inside. She rolled her eyes, but she also smiled to herself as she climbed the stairs.

Later that night, Wanda tried to fall asleep. Her mind replayed the conversation from the night. She found herself wishing that Vision had been there as well. She imagined what kind of quiet comments he would have added. She wondered if he would have offered to walk her home, perhaps with an arm wrapped around her to steady her. 

How had she come to this point? She had told Vision that he was her best friend, and that was true, but she was beginning to think that didn’t come close to what she was really feeling. But part of her was unsure and resisted the idea, she had nothing to compare it to after all. The few adolescent dates that she’d had were the extent of her relationship experience. How was she to differentiate between deep affectionate friendship and more romantic feelings when she’d never really experienced either before? What if all these new thoughts spoiled whatever she did have with Vision and stole one of the only people she needed in her life?

Wanda tossed and turned for over an hour, but sleep refused to claim her, so she did what she always did when she couldn’t sleep. The call rang for a while, but Pietro’s face finally came through on her computer screen. His hair was more tousled than usual, and he was rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Wanda,” he whispered, “what’s wrong? Are you alright? Do you need me to fly up?”

“Pietro, calm down. I’m fine. I just couldn’t sleep, so I wanted to talk.”

“Just a minute.” Pietro walked with his computer. She could hear him opening a sliding glass door and then saw the outside of his building. “Okay. Did you have a nightmare?”

“No, I was just thinking, caught in my head.” Wanda realized what he was doing and smirked. “I’m sorry. Did I interrupt something?”

Pietro scowled at her. “If you’d interrupted something, I wouldn’t have answered.” Wanda could name several times when her timing had been bad and Pietro had answered her calls flushed and breathless, but she didn’t feel like arguing. “There is someone sleeping in my bed, though.”

“I should have known.” Once she’d realized that her lack of interest in dating and failure to feel the attraction that everyone else seemed to experience was an essential part of her and not a passing result of her circumstances, she’d joked that Pietro had received her share of sexuality. Pietro, only too supportive of her asexuality, accepted all this teasing gladly. 

His scowl shifted into a smirk that matched hers. “It’s not my fault that I’m irresistible to women.” Wanda just shook her head at him. “But enough about me. What’s going on with you?”

She told him about school and the play and a new song she had learned for the piano. Then, she said, “And I might start playing with a symphony again.”

“That’s wonderful news, Wanda. Where?” 

“There’s a community symphony that plays at the university. I talked to the director this week, and she said she’d like to hear me play. If I get a spot, I’ll start after school finishes.”

“Of course, you will.” His faith in her and the genuine joy in his eyes almost bring her to tears. “I’m happy for you, but why now? It’s been a long time.”

She cursed internally at the blush that was spreading across her face. It was too close to her earlier thoughts. “It’s time, and a friend showed me a flier. I thought I would take my chances.”

“A friend? You’re blushing, sister. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“Yes, a friend. Now shut up.” Her glare was sadly not as effective through a computer screen. 

“Blushing and snapping?” Pietro’s stare only intensified. “Interesting.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“Have sweet dreams. Maybe I’ll get to meet this ‘friend’,” he teased, adding air quotes for extra emphasis, “the next time I visit.”

“Don’t try your luck.” She was about to end the call, but at the last minute, she added, “But I love you, brother.”

“I love you, too.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vision and Wanda have a couple of rough days, and they reveal more of their personal histories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No real warnings, but minor bullying because Ultron and his friends are mean.

Vision whistled as he entered the shop. He climbed up the steps, taking special care to avoid the squeaky fifth step. He frowned when he saw light spilling out from under the apartment door and heard the sounds of loud laughter coming through the door. He had expected that Ultron would either be out or asleep.

Preparing to face him and his friends, Vision squared his shoulders and opened the door. Ultron was sitting at one end of their living room couch, with his best friend Klaue at the other end. Their friends who were little more than hangers-on were arrayed around the room on the kitchen chairs and the floor. Vision didn’t even recognize any of them. Ultron and Klaue liked to have entourages, but their friends rarely lasted long before a petty annoyance made Ultron drop them. Eying Vision sidewise, Ultron abruptly broke off whatever he had been saying before. “Where have you been, little brother?”

“At the library.” Vision focused on his breathing, trying to ignore the scornful glances of Ultron’s friends.

“At midnight on a Saturday?” Klaue scoffed. He looked over at Ultron. “Your brother’s still the same old sad sack as always, isn’t he?” Ultron merely smiled nastily at Vision.

“My advisor has been unhappy with my recent progress. I need to devote all the time I can to it.” His lie only served to remind him that he really did need to find a way to finish his work ahead of his meeting with his advisor in June.

“That means you deserve a break.” Ultron patted the cushion between him and Klaue. Always wary of apparent shows of kindness from his brother, Vision paused, but he eventually perched on the edge of the sofa. “I was just telling the boys about our friend Wanda.” He tried not to bristle too much at Ultron’s tone. Vision hated how every time Ultron spoke about her his voice was always dripping with innuendo.

 “There is not much to say. She is a nice young woman who buys coffee here sometimes.” A number of faces scowled at him, but he wasn’t going to rise to their bait.

Klaue muttered, “Ultron said that he found you quite cozy early in the morning the other day.” Ultron’s hand bore down on Vision’s shoulder in a mockery of a friendly gesture.

“She was being kind enough to help with the morning baking.” Vision shifted uncomfortably at the continued scrutiny. Their expressions shifted to incredulity. “But, gentlemen, it has been a long night. I should be going to bed, so I can open tomorrow morning.” He shrugged off his brother’s hand and rose to his feet.

He tried not to look like he was fleeing too much, but the sounds of ugly laughter followed. He did his best to ignore the sounds throughout the early hours of the morning.

***

Wanda had managed to hold herself together during her usual early morning coffee with Vision, but after the nightmare she’d had the previous night, it was a struggle to contain her emotions throughout her morning classes. When the clock finally crawled to her lunch period, she considered where she could go. She could feel tears threatening to spill over at any moment, and there were few places around the school where her privacy would be ensured. If she stayed in her classroom, a student or other teacher might stop by. Her colleagues would be sure to notice if she went to the lounge. Even the bathroom was not really safe.

A new thought struck Wanda at that moment. She wondered if she could impose on Vision for the use of his room above the shop, just to collect herself for a few moments. She managed to walk down the hallways to the exit without running into anyone. Breathing a sigh of relief once she was out in the pleasant spring air, she made her way down the street. Until she saw a woman pushing a stroller and she cracked. Her tears started flowing as she ducked away from the sidewalk into the parking lot on the side of the coffee shop, desperately trying to hide her face and avoid attention.

Still crying and working to bring herself under control, Wanda stumbled into the shop. Thankfully, the shop was mostly empty. However, it was Ultron, not Vision, behind the counter. He was probably one of the last people she wanted to see.

“Wanda!” He immediately smiled broadly, and several people turned to look at her at his loud greeting. She just lowered her gaze to avoid the eyes on her. “So good to see you.”

“Hello.”

“Did someone dump you? If so, he’s an idiot. I’d be happy to make you feel better about it.” His leer told her exactly how she planned to make her happy. She simply ignored him. She had no energy to spare for his annoying advances today.

“No, it’s nothing like that.” Her voice threatened to break into hiccups. “Just a large black coffee please.” She refused to take the cup from him until he finally placed it on the counter and she was able to escape.

The next morning, she returned to her routine, trusting that Vision would be in the shop. Relief swept over when she saw that Vision was at his usual spot. His eyes were full of concern. “Wanda, I’m sorry about yesterday. I negotiated a short day with my brother, so I could do a little more work on my dissertation. I heard that you were upset.”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“Still, I’m sorry about my brother. Are you alright now?”

“Yeah, I’m…” She cursed her tears, which were returning with a vengeance. She couldn’t even finish her thought. She didn’t realize that Vision had come around the counter until he handed her a handkerchief and tentatively put a hand on her shoulder.

Eventually her tears slowed. “Sorry about that. And thanks.” She wiped her face, glad she hadn’t chosen to wear makeup that day.

“It’s perfectly alright.” He lightly squeezed her shoulder before returning behind the counter. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, if you do, just let me know.”

“I will.” As she calmed down, a new thought struck her. “You still use a handkerchief?” She grinned through her remaining tears at him. She didn’t know why she even bothered asking, it was so perfectly him.

“Oh, yes, I…I prefer them to Kleenex.”

“Maybe I should try them.”

“Well, you can keep that one to start on your collection.” Vision smiled slightly at her, but his eyes were still full of concern.  

Wanda attempted to make light of her tears. “I’m fine really. It’s probably just stress. _Phantom’s_ opening in a few weeks, and we’re really not ready yet. Plus, there’s all this end-of-year stuff going on.” She cast around for a change in topic. “I finally finished that other book you recommended. It was good, but I probably won’t have any time to read more for a while.” Vision followed her lead, and the mood lightened around them for a time.

***

A few days later Vision was just getting ready to go downstairs when he received a text from Wanda. _Can I come over early?_

_Yes, I’ll be down in a few minutes._

Five minutes later, he entered the shop, and she was already standing outside. When he opened the door, she flung herself into his arms. He didn’t react for a minute. Eventually, he settled his hands on her head. He let her cry until she pulled away. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, Wanda.” He led her to her usual seat. As he went about making her usual order on mornings after hard nights, he watched her out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes were red, and her skin looked paler than usual. He wondered if she’d slept at all. She tried to smile when he handed her a latte, but her face crumpled.

She took a few drinks, and it seemed to steady her. She tried to take out some money from her purse, but he shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Wanda.”

“I want to pay.”

“Just consider it a rewards program for our most loyal customer.”

“You don’t have a rewards program.”

“We do now.” He smiled at her, and he was relieved when she returned it.

“Thank you.” She finished the remainder of her coffee. She twirled her rings around her fingers, looking like she was about to say something more. He waited patiently for her. “Could I explain why I was ruining your sweater just now?”

“Of course.”

“Well, you know that I immigrated here with my parents and my brother when I was ten.” He nodded. It was one of the few details she had chosen to share. “My mother and father were living in near Chernobyl when the accident happened. Because of the radiation exposure, my father was diagnosed with cancer when I was twelve. He died within a year. Then, my mother was diagnosed and died within six months. My brother and I were in and out of foster homes until we ran away. I dream about them sometimes.”

She paused for breath and took another drink. Vision said nothing but merely held his hand out toward her in case she wanted to take it.

“Things were starting to get better. My brother and I both got scholarships to go college. He became a track star, and I focused on my studies and my music. I was auditioning for orchestras, and I got an offer to play the cello at the New York Philharmonic. But then my brother got diagnosed with cancer as well. I quit to take care of him. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I’m forever grateful that he’s in remission now. But by the time I was looking for work again, no one was interested. So, I moved here when I found a teaching job. God, I’m sorry for rambling.”

Wanda looked down at his hand and then back up at his face before grasping his hand tightly. He tried to smile reassuringly at her. “Don’t be sorry. It’s alright. You can take all the time you need.”

“Maybe I should hear your life story so we’re more even.” He had been more than happy to leave that door closed, though it was one of the only subjects they had never really discussed. But he had no desire to hold anything back after what she had told him.

“There’s not much to tell. My parents died when I was four and my brother was eight. Our uncle was our last living relative. He took us in and raised us until I was fourteen, but then he passed away. My brother became my legal guardian, and he received everything my uncle had in his will.”

“I know there’s more to it than that.” She regarded him intently, silently urging him to say more.

He shrugged. “We’ve lived in this same apartment all our lives. My uncle cared more for the business than for either of us, but he had never expected to have two children thrust upon him. He tried his best with us. My brother and I each found our own ways to entertain ourselves. My brother had football and lacrosse, and I immersed myself in my studies. When my uncle died, we went our separate ways more and more. When I went away to school, Ultron started fighting with my uncle’s former business partner incessantly until they agreed that Ultron would buy him out. By the time I was nearly finished with my Ph.D. work, my brother had gone through several other partners and he needed help, so I arranged to finish my work on my dissertation long distance. I’ve been working at the shop ever since.”

Her eyes held nothing but sympathy, though he still felt her tale was far worse. “I can see why you never pressed talking about family histories.” He saw her mind work, searching for a change of subject. “Hey, have you heard back from that conference yet?”

Vision smiled gratefully at the move to a lighter topic. “Not yet. It will likely take a few more weeks to hear from them.” Returning her conversational volley, he added, “And how goes your upcoming production?” So, they moved on to lighter topics until Wanda had to leave for work.

Later that night, Vision lay in his bed thinking about the pain Wanda had suffered. He wasn’t sure how she managed. After hearing her story, he understood why she didn’t like to talk about her past. Despite all that, she had listened carefully to his own tale, and he could feel the sympathy flowing from her.

Vision remembered the first day she had come into the shop. How kind she was. That he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He always wanted to be close to her. Wanda’s smile and her laughter and her quiet empathy stayed with him throughout the day after he saw her. Vision wanted to hear what she would say next. Their conversations were the best parts of his days, rivaled only by those moments when he reached a breakthrough while working on his dissertation.

He had never expected to feel this way about someone. Throughout high school and college, when all his friends and classmates started to pair off, he never got that feeling that was whispered about at sleepovers or expressed in passed notes. He began to think that it was some mass delusion that everyone exaggerated for fear of being the only one left out. He hadn’t even discovered the term “asexual” until he was in his final year of undergraduate education, but it fit his feelings so perfectly that he adopted it immediately. He had never told anyone, but he wore it as a comforting reminder that other people felt the same and he was not alone.

What Vision was beginning to feel for Wanda was still not the sort of physical attraction portrayed in movies, and certainly nothing like what captivated his brother and his friends, but he was beginning to see the appeal of physical closeness in ways that he hadn’t before. Vision let such thoughts absorb him as he drifted off to sleep.

***

It was Wanda and the other teachers’ last free weekend before they were completely consumed with end-of-the-year tasks. So, they decided to have one last hurrah in the form of a game night, which involved many unique rules and penalties (such as dares) that she was only just getting the hang of. It fortunately coincided with a weekend that Ultron was out of town. She stopped by the shop beforehand, so that she and Vision could go together.

At closing time Vision showed her upstairs. It was the first time she had ever seen his apartment. “Would you like something to drink?”

“I’m good. Thanks.”

“I’ll be back in a moment.” He shut his bedroom door behind him. Her eyes wandered over the common area. There was little more than a large brown leather couch and a TV, a table, and a small kitchen. The room bore none of Vision’s stamp, all dark colors and minimal personal touches.

But she was drawn to a miniature ship in a bottle resting on the mantel. The level of detail was amazing, from the masts to the little Union Jack. There were even tiny sailors on the deck.

Vision’s voice behind her startled her. “My brother and I used to make model ships, but this is the last one.”

“It’s really impressive.” Wanda turned to face him “What happened to the others?”

“Accidents over the years, mostly.” Vision’s mouth tightened briefly, and she suspected that he was not being entirely truthful, but she didn’t want to pry.

“I can’t picture your brother ever doing something like that.”

He shrugged, apparently uncaring, but Wanda didn’t miss the further downturn of his lips. “Ultron wasn’t always so…” She wondered what adjective he was going to choose. “Obnoxious.”

“If you say so.” She grinned at him. “By the way, I am joining that community symphony. There’s a concert in August at the community center.”

“That’s wonderful. I look forward to attending.” She smiled at him and tried to suppress the warm glow that rose in her chest when he returned it. They fell into companionable silence. Wanda was only jolted from the quiet by a stray glance at the wall clock. “You ready to go? We’ll be late.”

“Whenever you are.” They made their way into the mild night air, planning their strategies for the battle ahead.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda's schedule grows more hectic during the end of the school year. Vision and Ultron attend the school play. Wanda and Vision's feelings for each other grow more insistent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the continued support of this story. We are roughly halfway done.

Vision prepared Wanda’s latte to go, so that it was ready when she arrived. She was in the middle of the end of school year rush and had barely had a chance to say hello most mornings during the past couple of weeks. She came in a few minutes later, looking harried.

“Hey, Vizh. Is that mine?” She pointed at the waiting cup. “Thanks so much.”

“It is.”

She removed some money to pay, but then added, looking at the display case as he hoped she would, “Could I get a croissant, too?”

“Of course.” He ducked down to reach for it and placed it in a paper bag for her. Smiling at his success in encouraging her to have more for breakfast than a cup of coffee, he gave her the new total and the bag.

She took a sip from her cup and put it down, lingering as she carefully replaced her change in her wallet. “Did you hear back from the conference yet?”

“Not yet,” Vision replied regretfully. Every day that passed made him more convinced that his proposal had not been accepted. His advisor had told him through several emails that this was not unusual, but he could not shake the feeling. Wanda sensed his mood and placed her hand over his where it rested on the counter, smiling softly at him.

“Hopefully soon then. Sorry I can’t stay.”

“I am as well, but it’s perfectly alright, Wanda.” He hoped that his smile was sufficiently reassuring and hid the ache he was feeling at her absence in his life. “I know you have been busy.” Vision turned over the hand that was still underneath hers, clasping it back. 

“I won’t be around tomorrow, either. The play is next weekend, and we’re in full rehearsal mode. Some of the kids still don’t have all their lines down.”

“Good luck.”

With a quick wave and a smile, she left the shop, taking the warmth with her and leaving it cold and empty.

***

A week later Wanda hurried into the shop late in the afternoon. “Hi, Vizh.”

A pleased smile appeared on his face, and she couldn’t help but return the gesture, despite the mood she had fallen into all day. “Hello, I wasn’t expecting to see you until after the play was over.”

“I know, but we’re starting a full dress rehearsal in,” she looked down at her watch, “half an hour. I need something to keep me going.” What she did not say was that seeing Vision’s face would keep her going as much as the caffeine. “Could I get just a large black coffee?”

“Right away.” A few minutes later, he handed her a cup and a paper bag. She opened it curiously. Inside was a chocolate chip cookie.

“I didn’t pay for this, Vizh.”

He shrugged. “I hope you don’t mind it’s a little burnt. I wasn’t going to sell it anyway.”

“Oh, thanks.” Seeing his answering grin, she decided she could spare a few more minutes. “By the way, I don’t think I ever officially invited you, but you’re welcome to come see the play tomorrow or Saturday.”

“I would love that, thank you. I am free on Saturday evening.” Visio’s smile grew even wider. They looked directly into each other’s eyes, and she was struck again by how beautiful he was. She couldn’t help smiling back at him.

“I’d love to go, too.” Both Wanda and Vision jumped. She really needed to keep better track of when Ultron was around. Wanda hoped that her face did not betray her displeasure too much as she pasted on an inviting expression.

“The more the merrier.” She glanced at Vision, whose smile now looked equally forced. She was saved by the time. “I’ll see you both then. Got to get back to rehearsal.”

***

That Saturday morning, Vision had a prior commitment volunteering to clear trash from the local river. While removing bottles, wrappers, and other detritus, Vision struck up a conversation with a fellow volunteer. The woman had shoulder-length curly gray hair and wore a long skirt and clogs. “It’s so nice to see a younger person out doing their part.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” He speared a piece of newspaper and stuffed it in his bag.

“You can call me Marian, sweetheart.”

“Marian. I’m Vision.” She didn’t even react oddly to his name. “I am happy to help out. What do you do when you are not volunteering?”

“I’m a retired nurse. I loved helping people, but I couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital structures. Bloodsuckers. Don’t care at all for people’s pain, just profit.” She looked up at him apologetically. “Sorry, I can’t talk about my former job without getting all riled up.”

“That’s perfectly understandable. It seems to me that if they are not following their primary mission of healing people, the hospitals ought to be made to.” Marian grinned at finding a kindred spirit. They continued their designated section of the riverbank and found they had similar opinions on many societal and political ills.

As they were cleaning up their tools, Marian said, “Are you or any of your friends looking for a condo to rent? I’m moving to be closer to my daughter in a few months, but I don’t want to sell my old place. And I hate using the internet to try to find tenants. I much prefer word of mouth, and I have a good feeling about you.”

“Not that I know of, but I will mention it to them.” They exchanged contact information, and he promised to inform her if he found any leads.

Vision returned to the apartment later that afternoon, contemplating Marian’s offer. He showered and took care to dress for the play in a black button down and dark jeans. Through the open door, he could see Ultron smoothing his hair and applying copious amounts of cologne in front of his bedroom mirror. When he emerged, Vision’s eyes watered. Ultron said, “I think you’re going to develop a sudden bout of stomach flu.”

Vision had a brief, unaccountable wish to tell Ultron that his cologne would cause a stomach flu in anyone, but, of course, he held his tongue. He considered the best response for a moment. This time he was not going to give in to his brother. “No, I won’t. I promised her.” Ultron pursed his lips at Vision’s rare open defiance.

“ _I_ will explain it to her.” His voice took on a more threatening tone. “And I’ll give her these for you.” Ultron lifted the small bunch of peonies that Vision had bought for Wanda and carefully arranged in a bouquet.

“No, I am going.” Vision and Ultron stared at each other; Vision’s gaze did not break. He did not try to take the flowers back, but this is something he would not compromise on.

Ultron glowered at him, but he made no attempt to argue further. Though Vision was convinced that he would pay for this another time. “Fine.”

They walked over to the school and got seats near the front. Ultron raised a brow when Vision waved at Steve and his other teacher friends, who were taking up most of the back row of the auditorium. When he flipped through the program, he frowned more deeply. “Why is your name in the ‘Special Thanks’ section?”

Vision had not noticed that. He looked down at his name, and happiness glowed within him at the memories of helping her and getting to know her friends better. “I helped build some of the sets.”

“Still trying to get in her pants the slow way?”

Vision tried not to bristle too much at his brother’s crudeness. “Please do not talk like that. As I have told you, we are friends. I was simply doing her a favor.”

Ultron’s sneer conveyed his deep contempt. “You’ll never get laid with an attitude like that. That’s cuck, beta male thinking.” Vision sighed internally; Ultron needed to get away from those forums he loved to frequent. He was saved from replying by the lights going down in the auditorium. The first half of the play passed fairly quickly. Vision could see what Wanda meant when she said that the students were not the best, but the show was still entertaining. When the intermission began and the lights went up, Ultron groaned, “I hope she appreciates this. I have never heard more incompetent singing.”

Vision refrained from saying that he had not had to come at all. “I think they are all doing a decent job.”

“That’s because you refuse to say anything negative about anyone.” Vision did not bother to defend himself. Eventually the lights were turned back down, and the play resumed. As it approached the dramatic conclusion, Vision lost himself in the story. The dark romance of the possible love triangle felt inherently compelling. He joined the standing ovation of supportive friends and family when the whole cast bowed and presented Wanda with a bouquet on stage.

Several minutes after the end of the show, all the actors and stagehands came out to greet their loved ones. The auditorium began to empty, and Wanda emerged from the side of the stage. She smiled when her eyes settled on Vision, preparing to speak when Ultron shoved the flowers into her face. “Thank you.”

“I picked these out for you. I thought you would like them the most.”

“You were right.” She spoke in Ultron’s direction, but her eyes quickly turned to Vision, and her smile brightened. As Wanda re-focused on Ultron, her voice took on a sardonic tone. “It’s amazing that you managed to pick my favorite flowers. I don’t think I ever mentioned that _to you_.” Her slight emphasis on the last two words was lost on Ultron, based on his smug grin, but Vision beamed at her from behind his brother at the thought that she remembered the conversation from a few months prior.

“I just knew what you would enjoy.” Vision struggled not to roll his eyes, but he could not be too bothered when her eyes continued to be all for him. “And now that you’ll have more free time, I’d love to take you out to dinner. You’ve already denied me twice. Third times the charm.”

“Thank you for the invitation.” Wanda’s eyes flicked briefly back to Ultron. “But I’m seeing someone.” This was news to Vision. He was not sure where Wanda found the time to meet someone between teaching, the play, and spending time with him. They hadn’t had as much time together lately, with her school commitments and his renewed dissertation work, but it was still a significant amount.

As Ultron turned away, Wanda mouthed “thank you” at him, raising the flowers slightly. He nodded at her. But throughout the walk home Vision was consumed with thoughts of the person she might be seeing. He did not think it was any of their friends. Most of them were already attached, or people she seemed to regard as loving and exasperating siblings.

By the time he reached the safety of his bed and brooding space, Vision was convinced that this was for the best. He had no experience with relationships. We would not know how to give her what she deserved. While increasingly their smiles lingered and lengthened, and he felt a greater urge to ask her on a proper date unambiguously, she had also done nothing concrete to indicate that she favored a more romantic shift in their friendship.

With these morose thoughts coating his mind, he fell into a fitful sleep.

***

“Wanda, do you still want to go dressed up on opening night like we planned?”

“Of course, Vizh! I’ve been looking forward to this movie for months.” She wondered why he was even asking. They’d discussed their costumes and bought tickets a few weeks ahead of time because seats were selling out. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I thought you might want to go with the person you’re seeing.” Vision was doing a very poor job of appearing casual.

She couldn’t help herself. “Oh, Vizh!” she said around a laugh. That explained his unusual stiffness and diffidence over the last couple of weeks. She had thought it was clear that she had no time to form a relationship outside her classes and hobbies and the time spent with him.

“What?” Wanda only laughed harder at his truly bewildered face.

“You believed me when I said that to Ultron?”

Vision ducked his head bashfully. It was adorable. “Well, I thought it was a possibility.”

“I guess, but I just told your brother that because in my experience, men like him won’t give up unless they think they’re intruding on another man’s territory.” She could feel her face screw up in disgust.

Vision shook his head, looking equally dismayed. “I cannot fathom thinking that way, but you understand my brother very well.” She shrugged. Ultron was very transparent; she didn’t consider it a challenge to understand him. But this line of thought did inspire her to ask a question that had been lingering in her mind for some time. “I’ve wondered why he didn’t influence you to think the same way when you were younger.”

He shrugged slightly, the movement neat and precise as all his movements were. “I have considered this much myself. I suppose it is a combination of nature and nurture. I always felt differently from him about a variety of subjects, even before I could truly articulate those differences. He also sought out influences that nourished his worst impulses while I have attempted to cultivate the better angels of my nature.” He seemed embarrassed as the words flowed out of him. Despite the high-flown language, there was a certain matter-of-factness in his tone that did speak of having given this much thought. It was more than he usually said about his upbringing.

Wanda appreciated his honesty, understanding how difficult it could be. “Well, whatever it is, I’m glad you’re who you are,” she rushed to reassure him. Vision smiled gratefully at her.

***

As Vision and Wanda stood in line waiting to be let into the movie theater, they discussed what they thought would happen. The excitement of the crowd was rising in intensity, pushing their own anticipation higher. At least half the people in line were in full costume; others wore various pieces of merchandise from the series. At one point, Wanda held up her phone for them to take a selfie together, moving closer to him so that they would be centered in the frame.

The doors finally opened, and they took their seats. The crowd grew more and more impatient as the previews for upcoming films meandered on. Before the lights dimmed, Wanda showed him a quick post that she had made on her social media account. It was the selfie she had taken with the caption: “@songs_in_scarlet: Excited to see the movie of the year with @whatasight.” In the minute or so since she had posted it, the photo had already received several likes from their friends.

Finally, after twenty or so minutes of previews, the movie started. The entire theater was dead silent. Vision always thought there was nothing to compare to the experience of attending a comic book movie on opening night with a packed house of other fans. Nothing could match how the cheers, gasps, and spontaneous applause of the audience fed off each other, everyone hanging on every moment onscreen. The reactions of the crowd tonight topped any movie he had seen previously. As the credits rolled after the grand finale, the audience sat stock still for several moments before giving a standing ovation.

Wanda and Vision spent the entire ride home excitedly discussing the film and pondering about what would come next. When he pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex, she said, “Thanks for the ride.” She pushed her door open slightly but lingered in the car. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”

Vision felt an odd sense of déjà vu. This was starting to remind of him the night they went to the concert and he had impulsively kissed her hand. But this time he fancied that Wanda was looking at him almost expectantly. His mind rebelled at the thought that she might want him to kiss her. “I had a wonderful time as well. As always.” Her smile made his heart beat a little faster.

They remained in the same position, neither moving. Wanda finally climbed from the car. “See you tomorrow morning.”

“Have a good night.” He waited for her to reach the inside of the building before pulling out of the parking lot. Vision had to wonder if he imagined the flicker of disappointment in Wanda’s eyes when she waved at him.

***

Ultron stormed past her without even pausing as she entered the shop in the early afternoon, before symphony practice. She raised an eyebrow at Vision, who had a white-knuckle grip on the counter before shaking his head and wiping a cloth in front of her. “What’s up?”

“Ultron was unhappy that my conference proposal was accepted. He hates when I can’t be here, or dare to defy him.”

Ultron forgotten in the wake of her happiness about Vision’s success, Wanda said, “Congrats!” Vision smiled, but he quickly frowned again. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll get over it.”

Seeing that no one else was currently in the shop, he came around the counter and sat next to her. “Thank you. But this does mean that I’ll be away for a week.”

“Where are you going?” Wanda tried not to dwell on her disappointment that Vision would be away so long. This was a wonderful opportunity for him. It’s not like he would be gone forever, she comforted herself.

“My advisor has been wanting me to go back to work on the final version of my dissertation. Now we also have the conference presentation to polish, so we are going to have a round of intensive edits and mock oral defenses.”

“When do you leave?”

“The week after next.”

“What will I do without you?” She had intended to tease, but she cursed herself when her lip quivered just slightly. Wanda hoped Vision didn’t notice.

He gave her one of his small, lopsided smiles. “Well, we have a spare milk frother to make foam and I can teach to you a few simple designs to use while I’m away.” Despite his teasing words, his eyes were sincere as they looked at her. Wanda nudged his shoulder with her own.

“That’s not really what I meant, Vizh.”

He ducked his head shyly but met her eyes directly. “I know. I will miss you as well.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vision and Wanda spend a gratuitous amount of time smiling at each other and struggling with their feelings before they finally get their act together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excerpted lyrics from “I Want to Know What Love Is,” written by Mick Jones, appear in italicized print.
> 
> I struggled a bit with this chapter and rewrote the last couple of sections several times, but hopefully it worked out. It also kept growing and is the longest chapter so far. I hope you enjoy!

Vision dropped his bag in his bedroom, taking a moment to collapse on his bed after a long day of traveling home from his university. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He looked at his text messages to find one from Wanda. _How was your trip? Did you make it back ok?_

_Yes, thank you. It’s good to be home._

_Are you too tired to come out with us tonight?_

He didn’t waste a second before replying. His exhaustion was rapidly falling away. _No, I’ll be there._ She gave him the location and told him they’d all be there at ten. Fortunately, Ultron was not in, so Vision did not have to come up with an excuse for where he was going. 

Vision immediately saw the group. He ducked under the rope to join them. Wanda smiled at him, and the others greeted him jovially. He couldn’t help but notice that Wanda’s dress covered substantially less skin than what she usually wore. It was a deep red color with a deep vee. It was covered in delicate sequins that seemed to glow under the lights outside the club. Her soft curves were aesthetically appealing, but he worked to keep his focus on her face as she asked about his trip. 

Inside the club, the lights were low and strobe lights were making a mesmerizing pattern on the bodies dancing close together. It was not an environment that Vision typically felt comfortable in, but Wanda standing close to him and the familiar jokes of the others kept him grounded. It allowed him to enjoy the beat of the music. They managed to find a corner booth that fit all of them. Wanda and Vision ended up in the center where the two sides of bench joined. Sam and Natasha immediately sped off to the bar to get drinks for the table. 

When they returned with several pitchers of beer for the table, Vision accepted a cup. Now that Vision was sitting down again, his tiredness started to creep back up on him. The chatter around him turned into meaningless droning. He felt as if he just blinked once, but suddenly he and Wanda were the only ones in the booth. She smiled up at his confusion. “Hey there. I thought someone who was awake should stay to guard the stuff.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He could feel the flush of embarrassment and slight intoxication burning through him. “If you want to go dance, I’m awake now.” 

She shook her head, a faint blush that was barely visible in the low light touching her cheeks as well. “No, I’m fine, but if you’re tired, I can call you a car.” 

“No, no.” The sensible part of him urged him to follow her suggestion, so that he could function tomorrow, but he couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet her smile and let the atmosphere of the club create a bubble around them. 

Until he felt a tug on his arm, drawing him away from Wanda’s gaze. He looked up to see Natasha grinning at him while Clint pulled on Wanda’s arm. Natasha said, “Clint and I have to have a little chat. We’ll stay with the stuff. You two go have fun.” Wanda and Vision glanced at each other, but there was no arguing with Natasha. 

They joined the rest of the group on the dancefloor. Wanda seemed to glow even more brightly under the strobe lights. His eyes were continually drawn to her, even as their positions within the group changed. Not only her body, but also her completely carefree air as she swayed to the music. They all bounced along to the upbeat music that was currently playing, and oddly enough Vision had rarely felt so at peace himself, despite the noise and the crowds. It was one in the morning before they all piled into a few cars and made their way to their homes. 

But Vision did not catch a wink of sleep, pondering the new intensity of his feelings. 

*** 

Wanda entered the shop a little later than usual. Now that school was out, there wasn’t quite as much pressure to wake up on time. The space behind the counter was empty, but Wanda noticed a large bound manuscript was sitting in front of her seat. She smiled as she flipped through a few pages. 

A few minutes later, Vision emerged from the back room. His beaming smile encouraged one to form on her own face. She had never seen him so happy. “You finished it?” 

“Yes, I did.” He came around the counter and ran his fingers lovingly over the cover page.

“Congratulations!” She wrapped her arms around him, and he returned her embrace much less hesitantly than the last time she had hugged him. Since she wasn’t falling apart this time, she able to focus much better on the way his arms felt around her. It was lovely, though she still wasn’t sure how he felt about it. 

He pulled back slightly, but he kept his hands on her back. “I still have to go through a final round of edits with my advisor and complete my dissertation defense, but the worst is done.” 

“Vizh! That’s so great. I’m really happy for you.” After a few more moments, they realized they were still holding onto each other, backing away simultaneously. He returned behind the counter. 

“What would you like this morning?” 

“Since we’re celebrating, I’ll have a scone with my iced coffee.” Vision made her order and leaned on the counter across from her. Wanda smiled at him. He seemed more relaxed than she had ever seen him, with the weight of his dissertation no longer so heavily hanging over his head. “So, will I have to start calling you ‘Doctor’ now?” 

“Certainly not. Well, not yet at any rate. Maybe in a few months.” His boyish smile infused her with the powerful desire to close the distance between them and kiss him. She’d not felt such a strong wish in years, but she held herself back. This was not the time or place. Vision was her best friend; taking that step was not a choice that should be made lightly. 

*** 

The lights went down as the emcee went up on the stage. “Our first group tonight is Tony, Thor, and Steve.” 

Tony and Thor bounded onto the stage, with Steve following more calmly after them. The rest of the group, which had monopolized several small tables, watched them, with some whooping and others heckling. Wanda merely shook her head, but Vision could see the slight upward curve of her lips. They were sharing a table with Natasha, Mantis, and Mantis’s girlfriend Nebula. Bucky, who was smiling softly at Steve on stage, was sitting at a neighboring table with Sam and Clint. 

The music started, the opening notes encouraging much bouncing of feet and bobbing of heads. The instantly recognizable opening notes of “Stayin’ Alive” filled the room. Tony stood in the middle of the group, hamming it up for the crowd and making the most exaggerated disco dancing motions, stretching his arm high into the air. Thor and Steve flanked him, gradually leaning into the movements as the song progressed.

As the night wore on, the others’ singing grew louder and sloppier. Natasha, Thor’s friend Val, and Jane’s friend Darcy sang “It’s Raining Men.” Sam and Clint belted out “You Are the Wind Beneath My Wings,” exaggeratedly waving their arms and staring into each other’s eyes. Scott and Hope performed a sincere rendition of “I Will Always Love You.” 

Vision and Wanda both rebuffed repeated attempts to get them to sign up. People from other tables took the next few spots. Out of the corner of his eye, Vision saw Tony, Natasha, and Mantis whispering. When Tony and Natasha walked over to the sign-up sheet a few minutes later, Vision thought nothing of it. Until the emcee announced, “Next up is Wanda and Vision.” Wanda immediately glared at Tony, but he only started a chant encouraging them to go on stage. 

They took a second to look at each other and then at their friends, who were still egging them on, but finally complied.

The emcee queued up their music, noting it was “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Vision was grateful that he was at least somewhat familiar with the song. As the opening lyrics scrolled across the screen, he tried not to think too hard about their meaning. 

_I gotta take a little time, a little time to think things over  
I better read between the lines, in case I need it when I'm older_

Their voices were not too steady, and the crowd urged them to sing louder. Vision had a sinking feeling that this would only be the first of many heavy-handed attempts to manipulate his friendship with Wanda. But, despite their discomfort, they began to warm up to the singing. They focused on each other more than the crowd. It was not as terrifying as he might have thought, given the subject of the song. 

_In my life there's been heartache and pain_  
I don't know if I can face it again  
Can't stop now, I've traveled so far, to change this lonely life 

They had certainly both experienced heartache and pain. Vision was struck again by how much meeting her had brightened his life. Meeting her had opened a whole new horizon for him.

_I want to know what love is, I want you to show me  
I want to feel what love is, I know you can show me_  

By the time they reached the first chorus, Vision let himself melt into the song. He smiled at Wanda, encouraged when she smiled back. 

_I want to feel it too, and I know and I know, I know you can show me  
Show me love is real, yeah, I want to know what love is_  

When they reached the end of the song, Vision and Wanda just looked at each other briefly before their friends started screaming and applauding wildly.

As they gratefully left the stage, Wanda spoke lowly to Tony, “I hope that was fun for you because I will get you for it. I haven’t decided how yet, but you don’t know either. I promise you that you won’t see it coming.” Vision didn’t think Tony’s look of trepidation was at all feigned, and Wanda grinned savagely as she walked away. Mantis, Nebula, and Natasha were not at their table when they sat down. Wanda’s manner immediately turned softer and more apologetic. “Sorry about my friends.” She paused and glanced up at him. “Well, they’re your friends now too. Anyway, you know they can be idiots.” 

“Oh, a little teasing among friends never hurt anyone.” He attempted an easy smile back at her. “I hope the song didn’t make you too uncomfortable.” Vision could dream that she had a rather more positive opinion of their falling in love. 

“Uh, it’s fine.” Wanda flushed more deeply, but Vision tried not to take it too much to heart. It was embarrassing to be called on stage with no warning, and they had never discussed shifting from a platonic to a romantic relationship. After a moment, she smiled more fully at him before turning to scowl at the back of Tony’s head. “I just need to plot some good revenge for Tony, and Natasha, too, for putting us in that situation. Death is far too kind for them.”

“Might I suggest putting them in a room of angry parents and locking the door behind them.” 

Wanda chuckled. “I like the way you think.” 

*** 

Wanda smoothed her skirt when she heard Vision’s knock on her front door. It was her turn to host everybody for game night, but she had invited him over early. Suddenly feeling a bit nervous, she let him in. He had never come to her home before. “Would you like something to eat, Vizh?” 

“Yes, that would be nice. And highly advisable if Natasha is mixing the drinks tonight.” 

“Sorry everything’s a bit of a mess.” She looked around at the knickknacks that cluttered her walls and coffee table. “And I don’t have much in the kitchen right now.”

“Not at all. I enjoy seeing the pieces of your life.” 

She cringed as she opened her refrigerator to show him what was available. There were a few eggs, some cheese, a little bit of wilted spinach, condiments, and not much else. “I could make omelets if you like.” 

“Sounds great.” She showed him where her pans, utensils, and oil were kept. When he had all the ingredients in place, Wanda watched Vision cooking unabashedly. She took advantage of all his focus being exerted on the pan in front of him. He flipped the omelet perfectly and handed her a plate when it was done.

“Feel free to eat while it’s hot. Mine will be done momentarily.” He was true to his word, and they both finished their meals and cleaned up quickly. When they were done, Wanda gestured to her couch, and they sat side by side.

“Did you hear that Clint’s wife is pregnant with their first child?” Wanda asked. 

“No, but that’s wonderful news.” 

“I know. Nat’s so excited to be an aunt, and Clint doesn’t show it as much, but he seems thrilled.” She had nearly cried when Clint had pulled her aside to tell her, love and excitement practically shining out of him. Wanda was happy for them, but she did feel a pang of jealousy go through her every time the subject came up. She wanted to be a mother someday, but she didn’t know how she would achieve it. She supposed there was always in vitro fertilization or adoption, but there were severe hurdles to get over both of those. And she didn’t relish the idea of being a single mother. She wanted a stable partnership to support her child or children, but she would have to meet a suitable partner first. 

Vision’s thoughts had apparently wandered down similar paths. “I have always wanted to be a father.” His eyes were wistful and far away. She shouldn’t have been surprised, given what she already knew about Vision, but Wanda was still a little taken aback at such a decisive statement about having kids. It was rare in her experience to see a man think that way. 

“I’ve always wanted to be a mother, too.” Wanda’s heart jumped a bit at her admission. They were getting deeper into the only subject they never really discussed, even after they learned more about each other’s histories. 

“I am only afraid that I will wait too long to find someone to start a family with.” She ached for the sadness in his voice. A perfect image of Vision gazing adoringly at a tightly wrapped newborn resting in his arms filled Wanda’s mind. 

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m in the same boat.” 

Vision looked at her sadly, eyes never wavering. “No, Wanda, it doesn’t. You deserve to have everything you want.” 

“So do you,” she breathed. Her heartrate sped up as a result of the tender look in his eyes. Neither of them spoke, both unwilling to break the moment. But something in Wanda forced her to make one last attempt to cover everything she was feeling with a flippant comment. “But it’s hard to imagine creating a family with someone when I haven’t made it past a second date in years.” 

She was beginning to imagine it now though. The image she had formed earlier was supplemented by a picture of herself coming up to Vision’s side and gazing with equal awe at the bundle in his arms. She shook her head to clear it of the extremely premature image. 

“Yes, I have only ever met one person with whom I could imagine starting a family.” There was no mistaking how the smile in his eyes was all for her. Wanda just hoped that she was not letting wishful thinking deceive her. “It does make it all the more special when you find a person like that.” 

Silence reigned again, but it was charged with expectation. There was suddenly poorly concealed terror in Vision’s eyes. She was about to ask what was wrong when he rushed forward. “Wanda, may I kiss you?” 

She nodded, and he brought his hands to cup her face, staring into her eyes briefly before pressing his lips to hers. Warmth spread through her from the place where their lips met. She rested her hands on his shoulders. When they finally separated, Wanda noted that Vision was blushing. “I hope that was satisfactory. It has been a very long time.” 

She nodded, just a bit dazed. “For me too,” she whispered. Wanda regained control of her words as she calmed down from the surprise of her best friend kissing her. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while. Um, thanks for beating me to it.”

“You have?” Wanda smiled at his starry-eyed expression and nodded in confirmation. “I have as well.”

However, reality was setting in. The others would arrive in about fifteen minutes. “If we want to keep doing this, it will be an adjustment though.” 

Vision nodded seriously. “Yes, I would never want to jeopardize our friendship.” 

“Me, neither.” Except for Pietro, Vision was the most important person in the world to her. Wonderful as this feeling was, she couldn’t mess that up out of carelessness. “So, we, uh, should probably keep this to ourselves until we can talk through some things.”

“Agreed. Are you free tomorrow night?” 

“For you, absolutely.” She grinned at the deepening blush that spread across his cheeks. She was very tempted to kiss him again. But she didn’t want to get too carried away before their friends arrived. A few minutes later another knock sounded at her door, drawing them out of their own new private world. 

*** 

Vision’s feelings had not changed overnight, and he had not expected them to. But there was the matter of disclosing his sexuality. Kissing Wanda had been wonderful, but it did not change his fundamental feelings about sex. It had been so long since he had kissed someone that he sometimes thought his feelings would change if he met the right person. But that was clearly not the case because he had never met anyone he cared as deeply about as he did Wanda. 

His stomach tied itself in knots as he considered the best way to word his speech. He had never gotten to the point of revealing it to another person, but he wanted to be completely honest with Wanda from the beginning. 

His anxiety was amplified by the fact that he had forgotten to ask Wanda if she was coming by this morning. He had been so distracted by the dramatic shift in their relationship and trying not to act too oddly in front of their friends. His question was answered when the bell at the front door rang at the usual time. “Hey, Vizh,” she said more softly than was her wont. 

“Good morning, Wanda. How was the rest of your night?” 

“Good. Yours?” 

“Very good.”  He smiled at her tentatively. “What will you have?” 

“Hot chocolate today, please.” He made her drink and handed her the can of whipped cream, shaking his head fondly at the excessive amount she added to her mug. 

“We should buy bigger mugs just so you have more room for your whipped cream.” She stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled, relieved that they could maintain the same rapport that they always had. 

“That sounds like a great idea.” She took a large sip, and Vision found himself mesmerized by the bit of whipped cream that stuck on her upper lip. 

He leaned forward unconsciously, reaching out with his thumb. “Wanda, you have a bit, uh…May I?” 

“Oh.” She was blushing furiously now. “Sure.” Vision gently wiped his thumb over her lip. They remained still, both breathing faster than usual, until Wanda closed the distance between them. The kiss was short and sweet, but Vision felt the weight of all their feelings behind it. “So, I, um, have to go practice my cello now before our group practice later. I’m still not up to the level I used to play at. But you’re still coming over to mine tonight, right?” 

He smiled at her. “Yes, I look forward to it.” She smiled back and rushed out, throwing one last wave over her shoulder. It took some hours for Vision’s anxiety to overpower the bright glow of contentment that she left him with. He comforted himself with the thought that whatever her reaction she would be kind about it, but the afternoon hours still seemed to ooze by like thick molasses. 

Wanda welcomed him warmly into her apartment at the appointed time. After a few pleasantries, she offered to make tea, and he accepted, eager to have a few more moments to center himself. While he waited, Vision drifted over to examine her pictures more closely. There were several of a man, a woman, and two children. Then, a number of just her and Pietro. One in particular caught his eye; Vision didn’t think he had seen it the day before. It showed the two siblings outside on a sunny day, surrounded by other people sporting all colors of the rainbow, with Wanda in a shirt with purple, white, gray, and black stripes. He was still considering how to ask her about the picture when a quiet “Tea’s ready” came from behind him. Vision turned to her and walked back toward the couch. Wanda played with her rings when she saw what he had been looking at, and they prepared their tea in silence. 

Her fingers tapped loudly against the cup as they sipped. Her eyes drifted back and forth between Vision and the picture. There was no denying the nervousness in her expression. Vision took a breath and steeled himself to say what he needed to. “After last night, there is something that I wish to tell you, but may I ask you about the picture first?” 

“Okay.” Wanda set her cup down and drew her limbs into herself, watching him warily. With the way she tensed up, Vision felt he may have begun the wrong way. 

“Is that you and Pietro at Pride?” 

“Yeah, he convinced me to go when I visited him last year.” 

“And you’re wearing the asexual pride flag?” 

“Mm-hmm.” Her defensive posture did not shift, but her expression grew more open. “You’re familiar with it?” 

“Yes.” He strove to speak with all the authority and matter-of-factness with which he would deliver an academic conclusion that he had reached after much study and thought. “I am intimately familiar with it, actually. I am asexual.” 

Wanda just blinked at him for a minute, and Vision’s heart plummeted. He tried to think of how he could explain himself differently if the shirt was just a coincidence and she had no idea what he was talking about when she whispered, “You’re ace?” To hear her use the familiar slang term at least assured him that she did at least know the term.

“Yes.”

She looked at him as if she had never seen him before, a wide smile slowly breaking across her face. “When you said you didn’t usually date, I never would have imagined that was the reason.” Her body relaxed somewhat. “I am, too, like the shirt indicates. I’ve never met anyone who identifies as asexual in person before.” 

“Neither have I. I did not want to presume; I thought perhaps you were wearing the shirt in support of someone else.” Wanda shook her head, still smiling softly at him. “I have rehearsed this for years, but I’d begun to imagine that I would never have the opportunity to say it out loud.” 

“I only ever told Pietro.” Her excited tone faded at the end of the sentence, and her face set into a scowl. “And one boyfriend in college who promptly offered to ‘fix’ me. He was the last semi-serious boyfriend I had.”

Vision tentatively reached for her hand. “I’m sorry.” He had heard many similar stories and it broke his heart every time. 

Wanda only shrugged. “It was a long time ago. Besides I should consider myself lucky. My friends kept telling me that he was a jerk, but I couldn’t see it until he said that.” But she turned her eyes up at him hopefully. “So, I guess you wouldn’t be bothered by the fact that I’ve never had sex?” 

“Not at all. I have not either.” Vision had never thought that his inexperience was a cause for shame, but it was still a rarity at his age. It was a relief to admit that to someone who felt the same way. “Part of me did not even believe it was something real people did outside of fiction for a long time. I knew it intellectually, but I could not quite wrap my head around it.” 

Wanda laughed with absolute delight and leaned toward him, listening eagerly. “Me neither. I was so confused when Pietro started dating.” 

They began to interrogate each other, finally having the opportunity to discuss a number of subjects with someone who understood. When their initial stream of excited questions cooled, they rested back against the couch cushions and absorbed this new information. Vision smiled at her, overcome with relief at how she received what he had never dared tell another person before. “So,” Wanda teased, gracing him with a small, intimate smile, “any other deep, dark secrets you have to reveal before we start a new relationship?” 

“No, that was all. You?” 

“Nope.” She raised their joined hands to his cheek and pressed forward slightly. 

Vision caught her open, inviting gaze and tilted his head closer to hers. There was only one item remaining on his agenda. “And would you like to proceed?” 

“Yes.” Wanda sealed the answer by pulling him in for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed. Kudos, comments, and constructive criticism always welcome and appreciated. 
> 
> Updates will not follow a regular schedule.


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